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In a deal certain to play a major role in the outcome of future elections in the country, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday reached an agreement with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on the electronic transmission of results in the 2019 general election. The Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, endorsed the deal when he met with the INEC boss, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, at the head office of the NCC in Abuja yesterday. In his remarks, the EVC expressed the commission’s commitment to ensuring the success of the 2019 polls, stressing that it would not renege on its mandate. He said electronic speedy technology would be deployed for the collation of results.

The internet users increased marginally to 98.3million in November, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said. The NCC made this disclosure in its Monthly Internet Subscribers Data for December 2017 on its website on Thursday in Abuja. According to the data, Airtel, MTN and Glo gained more internet subscribers during the month in review while 9mobile was the big loser. The data also showed that overall, internet users increased by 98,391,456 in December from 94, 818,553 in November showing an increase 3, 572,903. The data breakdown revealed that MTN gained the most with 2,642.666, new internet users increasing its subscription in December to 36,069,597, from 33,426,931 in November. It showed that 9mobile lost 68,341 internet users in December decreasing its subscription to 11,338.839 as against November when it recorded 11,407,180. It said Airtel gained the most with 911,040 new internet users in December amounting to 23,985.203 users as against 23,074,163 users in November.

The NCC has clinched the “Best Website Award” in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) category of the Web Jurist Award 2017. The Head, Information Technology, NCC, Mr. Abraham Oshadami, disclosed this at the presentation of the awards won by the commission for its strong online presence. Oshadami said winning the award a second time indicated that the Commission had to do more to increase its visibility online. He said that it was fascinating to receive such an award and the Commission would do all it could to improve on its service delivery in all aspects.

Nigeria telecommunications operating companies and the United States through the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) are partnering on how cost effective technologies could be deploying to accelerate and surpass the 30 percent target set for 2018 in the National Broadband Plan of the federal government. This follows a Nigerian delegation to the United Stated packaged by the USDTA to learn how to improve broadband capabilities and help connect the underserved areas that are yet to be linked to the national telecommunications network grid in line with the NCC eight-point agenda.

MainOne, a provider of telecom services and network solutions for businesses in West Africa, has said that its Data Centres, which are achieving almost 100 per cent uptime availability, receive over 90 per cent of their power directly from the national grid. This comes as the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola recently noted that the lack of adequate electricity in Nigeria cannot be responsible for the country’s slow-paced industrialization, or drop in levels of her economic growth, noting that country currently has up to 2000 megawatts (MW) of redundant power that could go to its industries. In the same vein, General Manager of MainOne Data Centre subsidiary, MDXI, Mr. Gbenga Adegbiji, has debunked the myth that power hungry industries, such as data centres, cannot successfully operate in Nigeria. According to Mr. Adegbiji, MainOne is poised to achieving 95% availability in 2018, based on a growing partnership with a local power distribution company, Eko Electricity Distribution Plc. During an interview recently, Adegbiji stressed that MainOne’s data centre facility was built to mitigate all challenges that global businesses may have in a Nigerian data center.

After months of strategic negotiations with foreign investors, Naspars and AB Kinnevik, the Nigeria’s ICT solutions conglomerate and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Zinox group is now the majority shareholder in e-commerce giant, Konga. The development, according to Zinox group, signifies a remarkable return to e-commerce for the Zinox Group after it pioneered e-commerce in Nigeria with the launch of BuyRightAfrica.com which struggled to cope with the absence of credit card and e-payment infrastructure over 12 years ago. The acquisition is also understood to have passed all regulatory approvals by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

INDEPENDENT PG. B3, VANGUARD PG. 40 (TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2018)

Editor's Corner

This is not a case of blowing one’s trumpet. But we are persuaded to state the fact with figures and incontrovertible statistics from no less a body than the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The verdict? The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) under Professor Umar Danbatta has performed creditably. At a time the overall national economy was hurtling down the slope, telecom stayed up, maintaining a bullish run amid a torrent of economic recession that swamped the nation.

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In this edition, we have carefully choreographed with facts and figures the sterling and resilient performance of Nigeria’s telecoms sector during the nation’s most challenging period hallmarked by general economic downturn, investor apathy and marketplace turbulence.

Analysts, from Bloomberg to stakeholders, projected that if Nigeria were to exit recession fast, it would be down to the elasticity of the telecom sector which is the undisputed enabler of other sectors. And it was so. Kudos must go Professor Danbatta for his legendary “regulatory flexibility”.

Also in this edition, we serve you sights and scenes from the birthday outing of the Commission’s Board Chairman, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, who turned 85 in February. Described as an “exemplary leader” by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, here is wishing our Chairman many blessed years to come.

This edition is a herald and it opens the window to what consumers and other stakeholders should expect this year. Besides, it chronicles with evidence the dynamism and brilliant performance of the sector for which all the stakeholders deserve commendation.

Come ride with us on a journey in performance.

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Quarterly Highlight

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the technology and telecommunication sectors in Africa and the Middle East will more than quadruple in 2018, from 2017. This is according to Baker McKenzie’s Global Transaction Forecast, developed in association with Oxford Economics. The report shows that M&A in the tech and telecoms sector in Africa and the Middle East was valued at US$1 .2 billion in 2017. This is predicted to increase to US$5.9 billion in 2018 and a further US$5.9 billion in 2019, before decreasing to US$3.9 billion in 2020.

The report notes that a more positive global economic outlook, the expansion of technology across industries, investment from emerging markets, and strong corporate balance sheets are the key factors in driving investment in tech M&A around the world, including in Africa.

Darryl Bernstein, Head of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) Practice at Baker McKenzie in Johannesburg, South Africa, explains the predicted rise in tech and telecoms M&A in Africa, “Africa’s growing telecoms infrastructure and access to online services and platforms continue to improve access to the online economy. Increased local demand for innovative products, services and solutions drives offshore telecommunications and technology companies to target opportunities in Africa. The growing financial services sector has also seen domestic banks make significant investments in technology to advance their innovation agenda. African tech companies are also targeting offshore investments in companies that will deepen their access to new technologies, markets and talent.”

“The expansion of emerging technologies across industries, including agribusiness, automotive and of course fintech, will also drive M&A activity as we expect to see more cross-sector deals involving technology,” says Bernstein ....